That's Why We're Family
by Lizzie Raine
Summary: This is a series of one-shots surrounding Sue, Jack, and their friends. There will absolutely be Jack and Sue pairing and maybe some Bobby and Tara.
1. Stapler

**This idea came from a scene in "Bad Hair Day" when Tara talks about somebody stealing her stapler, specifically Bobby. I decided that there was probably an interesting story behind it and decided to write it. This is the first of my series of one-shots from Sue Thomas.**

 **Let me know if you have any ideas for me to write. I would love to hear from you.**

The day started off bad and got worse. Tara had slept through her alarm, her car battery was dead, and she had accidentally burned her bangs with her straightener. At least her coffee was good. She walked into the office and noticed that everyone else had already started on that day's work.

As soon as she saw her desk, she knew something was off. "Something's missing," she said.

Her desk looked extra cluttered, as if someone had been looking for something. Her pencils and fuzzy pens were all present and accounted for. Her computer looked like it hadn't been touched. Her rubix cube was solved and sitting on the corner rather than by her monitor where it normally was. Then she realized. Her stapler was gone.

Tara plunked her coffee down. That was the last thing she needed that day. Her stapler was the best one in the office and she didn't mind lending it to her friends, but only when they asked first.

However, she was not able to pursue the thief that had taken her precious office supply due to a sudden terrorist threat. _Great_ , she thought. _Of course the world would be about to explode on today of all days._ Because that day was also Tara's birthday. And it was rotten.

The day was spent running around chasing down bad guys and foiling evil plans. Tara longed to go home and soak in the tub and watch a movie or something equally as relaxing. But she had yet to discover who had taken her stapler.

The last of the debriefings were done by eight o'clock and Tara walked to her desk to gather her stuff. Taped to her monitor was a note. **This is a ransom demand for the return of one stapler. You are required to go to Sammy's at exactly nine o'clock tonight in a dress. Failure to meet these demands will result in the permanent confiscation of said stapler.**

Tara read the note and looked up in time to see several knowing glances cast her way. She smiled as she took the note from her computer. Maybe her day was looking up after all. "Seems like I have a blind date to get ready for," she said as she waved the note in the air. Tara drove home, grateful that her car started this time and didn't require a jump start like it did that morning.

In seemingly no time, Tara was wearing a lovely midnight blue dress and was standing in the lobby of Sammy's, an upscale restaurant. She gave the hostess her name and was led over to a table. At 9:05, Jack, Sue, Lucy, Myles, D and Donna, and Bobby all came and sat down around her wearing party hats.

Bobby handed her a small wrapped gift. "This is for you. Go ahead and open it." And so she did. She tore off the wrapping paper and opened the box to see her stapler. "We needed a way to get you to come to a birthday party tonight. I figured that taking your stapler would get your attention."

Tara laughed. "Well, you certainly succeeded. And I am never allowing you near my stapler again." Surrounded by her closest friends, her family really, Tara decided that it was the perfect birthday after all.


	2. Wedding Day

**This story takes place during the episode "The Newlywed Game." If you notice, there are wedding pictures of Jack and Sue, and that made me wonder what happened when they got those pictures. Lots of Jack and Sue as they are the cutest couple I have ever seen.**

 **As always, read and review, and send me ideas.**

This was officially the best day of Lucy's life. Her best friend was getting married to her other close friend. Sure the circumstances weren't the best, but still it was a wedding. And Lucy loved weddings.

Jack and Sue looked like they were thoroughly embarrassed with their current situation. The groom was picking shredded paper out of his hair and off of his desk with a disgruntled look on his face. Sue was trying to avoid Lucy's delighted gaze.

Lucy sauntered over to Bobby and D. "You know, I was thinking. In order to make this more believable, our newlyweds need wedding photos, wedding rings, new furniture, maybe even a reception."

"You know, Luce, I like the way you think. I believe this requires a team outing," Bobby said. He had a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Oh, no. Bobby. Bobby, no. No way!" Jack said, standing up from his desk.

"Oh yes!" Lucy said.

Later, Lucy, Tara, and Sue were in a bridal shop, looking through dozens of white, lacy dresses. Sue looked at her best friend. "I can't believe you talked me into this."

"Actually, I can't believe that we managed to talk Jack into doing this," Lucy said.

Tara giggled. "Yeah, it was surprising how quickly he agreed when he realized you would be wearing a wedding dress."

Sue blushed. "I don't know what you're talking about. We're just friends."

"Not any more, you're not. Now, you're married," Lucy said, her delight obvious. "Now, we have to find you the perfect dress to get the pictures done in. I'm thinking something with lace and a big princess skirt. I want to watch Jack's jaw drop when he sees you."

Sue just rolled her eyes at Lucy and went back to looking through a rack of dresses. Even though her wedding was fake, Sue really did want to look nice. It was, after all, probably the only time she would get to "marry" Jack.

The three friends held up increasingly ridiculous dresses for Sue to try on, their words quickly descending into fits of giggles. They had already spent an hour in the dress shop, and the boys were sure to be getting impatient. It was at this point that Lucy spotted a dress tucked behind a hideous concoction of lace and bows. She pulled it out and held it up.

"I think this is the one," she said quietly. "Sue, Tara, look at this one. It's perfect." And indeed it was. It's simple elegance seemed to have been custom-made for the blonde beauty. "Come on, I want to see you try it on."

A few minutes later, Sue came out of the dressing room. The dress was perfect. "You look absolutely perfect. That dress fits you like a dream." Lucy's voice started to crack a little, and her eyes teared up at the sight of her best friend in the wedding dress.

"You know, Luce, this isn't an actual wedding. But I think you're right. This one is perfect." Sue went back into the dressing room and changed back into her original clothing. She then went up to the attendant and made arrangements to rent the dress for the day.

"Let's go finish getting you ready for the wedding of your dreams, Cinderella," Tara said.

Two hours later, Jack was looking at his watch. He and the rest of the guys were all waiting in a small park that they had agreed to meet at for the wedding photos. The girls were half an hour late. Jack turned to the photographer. "I'm sorry about this. She's usually on time to things like this. I don't know what's keeping her."

The man chuckled. "Son, most women are a little late for their wedding pictures. Something about trying to look just right or like a princess or some other nonsense. Don't you worry about it. She'll probably be here in a few minutes."

At this, Bobby cut in. "Or, she have finally come to her senses and ran off before she had to get stuck with this guy for life."

As luck would have it, this turned out to be the moment the girls drove up. Lucy and Tara came out first, dressed in matching bridesmaid dresses. They were a lovely light blue that seemed to work perfectly for them both. They turned and helped Sue out of the car.

Jack felt his breath catch in his throat. Sue was absolutely stunning in her white dress. He could almost believe that she really was about to make him the happiest man in the world and marry him. He could vaguely hear Myles and Bobby making some kind of remark about how gorgeous the bride looked, but he didn't really pay attention. His focus was solely on Sue as she walked towards him.

"You know, I had that same look on my face when I saw Donna in her wedding dress. You might want to not stare as much, or Sue will know how much you care for her," D said quietly from Jack's left. Jack quickly snapped his mouth shut.

When Sue came up to him, he took her in his arms and whispered, "You look incredible." He did, after all, have to keep up appearances for the photographer.

Sue blushed at his words and murmured a small "thank you." What neither of them noticed were the beaming faces of their coworkers as they watched the two people who had danced around their feelings, looking very much like they were a couple in love.

There were many laughs and catcalls for the rest of the day, particularly when Jack had to kiss the bride. But neither Jack nor Sue minded having their friends there with them. After all, they wanted to relish the day as if it was real.


	3. Wedding Rings

**This is a continuation in a way of the last story. It takes place towards the end of "Breaking Up is Hard to Do.". This has lots of Jack and Sue and is what I think happened with their wedding rings.**

With Betty in their custody and Joseph missing, Jack and Sue no longer had to keep up their cover story. Which meant that they didn't need to wear their wedding rings anymore.

Sue had gotten the notice on her desk earlier that day to return her rings to her supervisor. And she understood why. Sue definitely didn't want to have to pay the Bureau to keep the rings when she wasn't even married. But at the same time, she was putting off the moment when she had to give them up to the last possible moment. It had been less than a week since Sue had started to wear them for this charade with Jack. Yet, when she took them off, it felt wrong, like her hand was missing something.

 _That's crazy. I'm not even close to getting married. Why does it feel like I am losing something special with Jack when I take them off?_ Sue slipped the bands from her finger and placed them on her desk. She tried to work without them on, knowing that by the end of the day, she would no longer have them. _Might as well get used to my hand feeling bare._

She lasted about five minutes before she once again returned them to her left hand. It just seemed right, having them there.

Little did she know that two pairs of eyes had watched this whole thing from across the room. Lucy was secretly delighted that her friend was feeling so attached to those rings. _Maybe there's hope for them yet_ , she thought to herself.

Jack, however, was feeling unnerved. Every time Sue took off the rings, his heart would get a little sad and he would look down at his own ring that he had yet to return. But then she would put them back on and his heart would soar. _I guess it's the thought of her wearing my wedding band that's got my emotions all confused._ He shook his head slightly. _Who am I kidding? When she was talking about having a dog, a wife fe, and a couple of kids, I was picturing her by my side as my wife._

Finally the work day was over, and it was time for everyone to go home. Jack stood up and walked over to Sue's desk. He motioned for Levi to get her attention for him. "Do you want to head over to Garrett's office together?"

Sue looked a little alarmed at the idea, but then quickly wiped her face of emotion. "Sure, why not?" she said.

They walked down the hall together and knocked on their supervisor's door. "Come in." Jack took Sue's arm and led her into the room, knowing that she wouldn't have heard Garrett.

"Ah, Jack. Sue. I hope that you are both here to bring me the wedding rings that the Bureau let you use."

"Yes, sir. We are." Jack gulped. He really didn't want to give his ring up, but a small voice inside of him whispered, _Maybe someday_. He tugged it off and Sue followed suit. They placed them in Garrett's hand then bid him a good night.

The couple walked outside together, just enjoying each other's company in the beautiful evening light. And in both of their heads came the repeated phrase, _Maybe someday._


	4. Chance Encounter

**This story is based off of the "double date" in the episode "Fraternity." This is when Jack just so happens to be running in the same park as where Sue, Lucy, and Amanda are. They invite Jack to go to a deaf movie theater with them. This is what happens on that date.**

 **As always, please read and give me feedback. I would love to hear your own ideas for stories.**

Sue felt Jack's hand on the small of her back, where he normally placed it when they walked together. She never told anyone this, not even Lucy, but that small gesture warmed her heart every single time he did it. Over the course of the last few years, she had come to treasure these little moments that they had together.

Jack touched her arm gently, and when he had Sue's attention, he spoke. "So, what movie are we going to go watch?"

"Oh, I think that they're playing _The Princess Bride_ tonight. That one is a classic and good for all ages. You know, sword-fighting, pirates, true love, and everything that makes a story good."

"Sounds good to me. Are we doing dinner as well? Cause, I know a great place that just opened not too long ago."

Sue pretended to think about it for a minute, but she was absolutely willing to go to dinner with him to any place. "I guess that could work, if Amanda and Ben can come along. Since Lucy just happens to be busy tonight, I need to keep an eye on Amanda."

Jack looked at the young deaf girl walking beside Lucy in front of him and grinned. He couldn't think of any other teenager he would prefer to join them for dinner. Amanda was a lot like Sue, full of life and unwilling to let her deafness define her limitations. "I would be delighted to have them join us." His answer was rewarded with a dazzling smile from Sue.

There were few things in his life that could stir his heart into a frenzy than Sue's smile. It was the kind that made the sun shine on rainy days and the clouds part. It lit up her whole face, making her seem to glow with some kind of light. Angelic, Jack thought. Her smile makes her look like an angel.

They spent the rest of the afternoon roaming the park together. Sue threw a ball for Levi to fetch, but when he brought it back, the loyal dog pranced straight to Jack. "Levi! You betrayed me!" she said in a hurt voice, but with a smile on her face.

"Nah, he just knows who can throw farther," Jack said. Sue raised her eyes at that and took the ball from Jack and chucked it. Levi, barked once and took off after the ball, running almost the length of a football field, before he found his toy. Jack gave a slight bow. "I stand corrected. You are obviously the master of throwing a slimy ball."

"When you put it that way, you can throw that slimy ball all you want." Sue smiled and let the man take over with her dog. They spent an hour or so playing with Levi, before it was time for them to head over to pick up Ben. The restaurant they went to ended up being owned by a couple from Lebanon and greeted Jack like an old friend.

The wife came and spent some time talking to the four guests. "So, Jack, is this lovely young woman your girlfriend? It's been some time since we've seen yu here with anyone besides Bobby."

"No, she's a coworker, and I am helping chaperone a date. I figured it was only fair that I take them to the best food in DC."

"Jack helped us when our daughter went missing a few years ago. He has always been a charming young man." The woman leaned down and whispered conspiratorially to Sue, "He is a good catch. And you two would make a lovely couple." She stood back up and spoke to everyone at the table, with Sue providing translation to the two kids.

"Now, I am going to surprise you all with a few of our special dishes. Is there any food restrictions that I need to know about?" They all shook their heads and the woman clapped in delight. "I'll bring out your food shortly. For now, we will just start with hummus and fresh pita."

The group spent an enjoyable evening eating delicious food from the Middle East and speaking with the owners as they frequently came to see how they were doing. Eventually, though, it was time to head to the movie. Amanda and Ben both settled down in the theater with a large popcorn in between them. Jack and Sue watched them for a moment, both thinking about how sweet the two teenagers were.

Jack touched Sue's knee to get her attention, then signed in the dim theater, **I'm glad I ran into you at the park. This has been fun.**

Sue smiled and signed back, **It has been. And you get to enjoy a deaf theater for the first time.**

 **Hopefully not the last time** , signed Jack. Then the two adults turned back to the movie and spent the evening wishing that they could behave like Amanda and Ben and hold hands.


	5. Jersey

**This is based on "Silent Night" when Jack and Sue give each other the same jersey for Christmas. Let me know if you have any scenes you want me to write. Check out my other story "The Revenge Killer" and make sure to put in your vote.**

For most people, Christmas presents are used and then forgotten over time. Sometimes, it takes months to find a place to put them and store them when you are not using them. For Sue, that was a different story.

Maybe it was because she had gotten the exact same thing for Jack, but her hockey jersey was one of her favorite things to wear, particularly on cold days. Which in DC in the winter time, was just about every day. One such winter morning, on a Sunday, found Sue walking down to the closest ice skating rink, dressed in her warmest coat and with her warm jersey on. Levi trotted beside her, acting as her ears in case someone called her.

Once she reached the indoor facility, Sue took off her coat and grabbed a pair of ice skates from the rental station. Lucy was meeting her here soon, so Levi would have someone to hang out with, rather than sitting on the side watching his mistress from afar. Sue felt giddy with excitement. It had been years since she had gone ice skating, and she couldn't wait to be on the ice again.

Soon, Lucy was there in the bleachers, watching her friend glide across the ice as easy as walking. She had a natural grace and beauty on the ice that was very evident to anyone familiar with the sport. Sue danced across the ice, twirling and spinning and jumping to her own music in her mind.

Lucy, however, noticed something that Sue was completely unaware of. A friend was lacing up some skates on the edge of the ice, preparing to go out and join the throngs of people. His dark hair and eyes were as familiar to Lucy as her own face, having spent more time with him than with her own family. Jack stepped onto the rink and took a minute to familiarize himself with the feel of ice and how his skates would react to the cuts already existing on the surface.

For a best friend, this was a moment of pure delight. Neither of Lucy's friends had noticed the other, but it was only a matter of time before they would see each other. Something else also caught her eye. Jack was wearing the exact same jersey that Sue wore all the time. Same number, same style. _Now this is going to be interesting_ , Lucy thought to herself. She sat back to watch the show that was about to unfold.

On the ice, Sue was in her own world of dancing. It had been far too long since she had enjoyed the feeling of freedom that skating gave her. The ebb and flow of rhythm that echoed through her mind pushed her to spin and twirl like her very own life depended on it. The experience was pure bliss. That is, until she bumped into someone and fell to the ground.

"I am so sorry. I was lost in my own thoughts and wasn't paying attention." Sue stood up and looked at the person she had accidentally knocked over. "Jack?! What are you doing here?"

"I came to do some skating since its been a few years since I've gone. I didn't expect to find you here."

"I thought it was time to finally get back on the ice," Sue said with a smile. Up in the stands, Lucy was grinning like an idiot, watching her two friends indulge in a romantic meet-cute.

The two friends skated next to each other, not going fast, just enjoying each other's company. Jack spoke, "So where's Levi? I can't imagine you leaving him at home, but I also don't think that he would enjoy being on the ice with you."

"He's up in the stands with Lucy. I tried to convince her to come join me, but she said that her balance was terrible and that she would leave skating to me."

They skated quietly for a moment before Jack spoke up again. "So how does it feel to be on the ice again?"

"It feels great. I've missed the freedom of losing yourself in the rhythm of the ice and a song."

Jack looked questioningly at her, and Sue elaborated. "I can't hear any music, so I create a rhythm to skate to and let that be the soundtrack. When I skate, it feels like freedom, like I can let go of all of my worries and problems and just feel."

"You skate emotionally, not technically."

Sue nodded. "That's one way to put it, I guess. I just let my passion through and my body just goes without me really realizing it."

After they had been skating for an hour or so, Jack took Sue's hand and led her to the edge of the ice so they could sit and rest for a few moments. While they both had had a lot of experience of skating for hours on end, that had been years ago, and they both felt tired and a little sore from little used muscles.

As they were sitting on a bench, Sue noticed something very familiar. "Jack, you're wearing the jersey."

"Of course, it's one of my favorite shirts to wear, particularly in the winter. Which I notice you are currently wearing the same jersey." He quirked an eyebrow at the deaf beauty.

Sue felt herself blush a little. "Yeah, I love this jersey. I like to wear it when I curl up with some hot chocolate and a good book to read. I figured that today, it would be nice to wear something warm and comforting for my first time back on the ice."

"Well, the store owner was right. You do look great in it." Jack said it quietly, ducking his head a little, but still making sure that Sue could read his lips.

"Thank you. You look good too. Very handsome."

Not too far away, a certain best friend watched and hoped that someday, and someday soon, those two lovebirds would act on their feelings for each other.


	6. A Kiss to Build a Dream On

**This is a one-shot from the episode "The Kiss" as requested by 98agent. I hope you enjoy this story and I hope that you will leave comments and ideas. I love hearing from you guys.**

 **Also, check out my other story for Sue Thomas.**

After the rather awkward moment in the office, Jack and Sue were walking back to her car, both trying and failing to keep the conversation flowing. She fumbled with her keys, trying to detangle them from her purse when she dropped them. Jack, being the gentleman he is, reached to pick them up for her at the same time that Sue was trying to grab them. Normally, her clumsy self would result in the two of them bumping heads, but this time, they managed to come out unscathed.

The two of them held the keys between them, just staring at their almost connected fingers. Jack let go and Sue turned to unlock her car. But then she felt his gentle touch on her elbow and turned back to her friend. He pulled her in towards him and wrapped an arm around her waist. He kissed her slow and sweet, completely unlike the kiss they had shared in the office.

Jack kissed her like he was taking care of her, not full of passion and fire, but rather full of tenderness. Sue sighed into the kiss, letting herself become lost in the feeling. Jack pulled away, far too soon for either of their liking and leaned his forehead against Sue's.

"I have wanted to do that for so long. I only wish I had had the courage to do that sooner," Jack whispered to her, making sure Sue could see his lips.

"What held you back?"

"I guess I didn't know if you felt the same, so I was worried about hurting our friendship," Jack confessed.

"Well, you don't need to worry anymore," Sue said. Then she pressed her lips hard against Jack's, making sure that she let all of her pent up feelings for the man be conveyed through the kiss. She poured her longing and desire for Jack into their kiss, making sure that there could be no mistake about what she felt.

Suddenly, a large furry thing landed on top of Sue, jolting her from the warmth of her bed. "Levi? You need to be better at your wake up calls." Sue lay back in bed for a moment, thinking about her dream that she had. Of course, their evening hadn't really ended that way. Instead it was an awkward conversation about how the kiss didn't mean anything for either of them; it was just a way to conceal their FBI investigation in the office.

But, Sue wished that things could have been different. As said in one of her favorite Disney movies, "A dream is a wish your heart makes." Sue groaned and rolled out of her bed, hesitant to start the day, and definitely not wanting to face the awkwardness between her and Jack that was sure to happen.

However, nothing about the morning could put a damper on the way that she felt. It was a good day.

Lucy noticed the good mood her roommate was in. It was curious. While Sue was normally a cheerful morning person, she never quite glowed this brightly at seven in the morning.

"What's got you in such a good mood this morning?" she asked Sue.

"Oh nothing. I just had a really good dream and it left me feeling great," Sue answered vaguely.

"Alright, well we've got to be going soon if we are going to make it to work on time. Do you want to stop at that cute little coffee shop on our way?"

"Sure, that sounds good," said Sue. Levi barked. "I think Levi agrees, too. The owner always gives him a scone when we go there."

The two friends went on their way and stopped in to get coffee. As Sue turned, she ran into the very person that had been so prominent in her dream last night.

"Oh, I am so sorry, Sue. I didn't mean to bump into you." Jack carefully took her coffee and grabbed some napkins so she could clean up the spilled beverage. Sue dabbed at her coat, making sure she got any residue off of the fabric.

Suddenly, Sue laughed. Jack looked at her questioningly and she pointed towards the ground. "It's a good thing Levi is allowed in here. He can clean up any mess that you make." She gave Jack a smile to let him know that she was teasing him.

"The living garbage disposal tends to do that. I kinda wish I one at my house to clean up after me."

"Then you better get yourself a dog. They are great pets, and Levi provides the most stimulating conversation," Sue grinned as she continued with her teasing. Then, she noticed that Lucy was standing by the door, waiting for her. "Oh, Lucy is waiting for me. I'll see you at the office." Sue grabbed her coffee from Jack's hand and motioned for Levi to follow her.

"I'll see you in a few," Jack responded.

Sue smiled and turned to follow her friend out the door and into their car. _I wish that something could happen between us. But, I know that that will not happen. Still, last night was a kiss to build a dream on_.


End file.
